TEXT 15. Read and translate the text. Be ready to speak on the topic.

The USA

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the central part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also comprises Alaska and Hawaii. The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square kilometres. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea-border with Russia. The USA is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated.

Each of the states has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government is Washington, DC. According to the US Constitution the powers of the government are divided into 3 branches: the executive, headed by the President, the legislative, represented by the Congress, and the judicial, exercised by the Supreme Court. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic.

The population of the country is more than 280 million. They are the people of all races and nationalities, including African, European Americans, Chinese,etc. The largest cities are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.

People live within four time zones. If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.

America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA. One of the most fascinating places is the Niagara Falls. The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic. The climate of the central part is continental. The south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf of Mexico often bring typhoons.

The USA is a highly developed industrial country and the world’s greatest economic power. The American economy produces and Americans consume more than any other economy in the world. It also plays a great role in a global economy. The nation’s wealth depends on its rich natural resources, its agricultural output and technology industries. Among the most important manufacturing industries are aircraft, cars, textiles, armaments, furniture and paper. The USA is the world’s leader in biochemical and genetic engineering, aerospace development, communication, computer and information services and other high-technology fields.

UNIT 3. THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

 

Learn the following words and word combinations

Vocabulary List

wonder чудо	bravery отвага, смелость, храбрость
destination место назначения	military glory воинская слава
location местоположение	to boast хвастаться
to represent представлять	to carve вырезать (по дереву)
to protect защищать	elaborateискусно сделанный, продуманный, аккуратный
treasure сокровище	entertainmentразвлечение
heritage наследие	to consume потреблять
landmark достопримечательность, поворотный пункт, веха (в истории)	beverage напиток
to comprise включать в себя	cuisine кухня (национальная)
significance важность, значимость	subway метро, подземный переход
to symbolize символизировать	to hitchhike путешествовать автостопом
to refer to ссылаться на, относиться к	to hesitate колебаться
Estate имение, поместье	to get used to привыкнуть к чему-либо
luxurious роскошный, дорогой	to survive выживать
ancient древний	to cover покрывать, охватывать
route маршрут	to reflect отражать
to stretch тянуться, простираться	flax лен
to mention упоминать	to be devoted/ to be dedicated to быть посвященным кому/чему-либо
to be associated with ассоциироваться	to despise презирать
to ruin/to destroy разрушать	generosity щедрость

 

 

TEXT 1. Read and translate the text. Answer the questions below.

Tourism in Russia

Most of the tourism in Russia is centered on the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg, as these cities are the most famous attractions of Russia.

Tourists are attracted by a very rich cultural heritage and rather tumultuous history of Russia. Popular tourist destinations in the major cities include the Tretyakov Gallery, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow; St. Issac’s Cathedral, the Summer Palace of Peter the Great, the Russian Museum, the canals and waterways on the river Neva in St. Petersburg.

The Russian countryside tends to be quite rural and undeveloped. Big pieces of tundra, taiga, woodlands, and steppe stretch across vast expanses of the Eurasian continent.

In the countryside, there are many little towns with old castles. Some notable cities and towns, which have their own rich cultures and traditions, include Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea coast, Novgorod, Tver, Nizhni Novgorod, Ekaterinburg, Rostov and Kazan.

Tourists are also drawn to the cruises on the big rivers like Volga, Lena or Yenisei as well as journeys on the famous Trans-Siberian railway, the third-longest continuous service that stretches from Moscow to its eastern terminal of Vladivostok at the coastline of the Pacific Ocean. Other destinations include the golden Ring region towns of Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Rostov, Suzdal.

Russian cuisine is rich and varied. Some of the most famous dishes include borshch, schi, sirniki, okroshka, pirozhki, blini, pelmeni and shashlyk. Russia is also famous for its caviar, though severe overfishing has threatened the fisheries that provide the source of this delicacy.

Despite these attractions, travelling in Russia presents many challenges for foreigners, such as weather and the language barrier.

 

Questions

1. What are the centres of Russian tourism?

2. What are the most famous attractions of Moscow and St. Petersburg?

3. What can you say about the Russian countryside?

4. What do you know about national Russian cuisine?

5. What challenges for foreign tourists are there in Russia?

 

 

TEXT 2. Read and translate the text. Name 7 reasons to visit Russia.

Seven Wonders of Russia

As a response to Europe’s «Seven Wonders of the World» list, which didn’t include any Russian sights, Russia organized a national contest to select the seven most beautiful destinations the country has to offer. Almost 26 million people went online and voted for their favorites since the contest started in autumn 2007.

The «Seven Wonders of Russia» contest had several stages, after the first one 49 national locations were chosen and after the second one only 14 remained. Finally the people chose the places they thought best represented their country’s beauty. Officials hoped this event would raise attention to the need of protecting the country’s historical, natural and cultural treasures. Here are the Seven Wonders of Russia:

The Baikal Lake

This lake is situated in Southern Siberia and considered to be the deepest lake in the world as well as the biggest freshwater tank on the Earth. It is also known as the «Blue Eye of Siberia». Research has shown Lake Baikal is more than 25 million years old, which makes it the oldest lake in the world. Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

Valley of the Geysers

The landmark is located on the Kamchatka peninsula and comprises about ninety living geysers and many other thermal springs. It was discovered by Tatiana Ustinova, a local scientist, in 1941 but serious exploration of the area began in 1972. In the 1980s The Valley of Geysers was presented as one of the main attractions of the Kamchatka peninsula, in an attempt to raise tourist awareness. The valley is difficult to reach, with helicopters providing the only feasible means of transport. The place is in the list of UNESCO World’s Heritage.

Mamayev Kurgan

Mamayev Kurgan is a place of great significance for the Russian people. This dominant hill, overlooking the city of Volgograd (former Stalingrad) saw some of the fiercest battles of World War II. The huge memorial statue of the Motherland was built on top of Mamayev Kurgan in 1967. The monument is in Guinness Book of World Records as the highest monument at that time. The woman symbolizes Russia and is two times higher than Statue of Liberty with 85 meters high.

Peterhof

The place was built to the order of Peter the First in the beginning of 17-th century and is situated nearby Saint-Petersburg. Often referred to as the Russian Versailles the palace and park of Peterhof are considered to be the top tourist attraction in the whole Russia. Versailles was indeed Peter the Great’s inspiration when he decided to build an imperial palace and many say Peterhof is even more beautiful than the famous French complex. Peterhof is an immense, luxurious estate, known as the capital of Russian fountains; the Grand Cascade, built in front of the Grand Palace, is one of the largest fountain ensembles in the world. The Upper Garden and Lower Park are also cultural masterpieces and the magnificent Grand Palace was remodeled by the famous architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli.

Saint Basil’s Cathedral

Also known as The Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat is considered the most beautiful cathedral in Russia and one of Europe’s most beautiful holy places. It was constructed during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and a legend says the architect was blinded after finishing his creation, so he couldn’t build anything as beautiful again. Built in the middle of the Red Square, in Moscow, St. Basil’s Cathedral commemorated Ivan IV’s victory over the Kazan Khanate.

Poles of the Komi Republic

Set in the Troitsko-Pecherskiy region, in the Komi Republic, the Columns of Erosion, or Manpupuner as they are known in Russia are one of the country’s most mysterious attractions. No one knows how long ago they were created, but for sure scientists know that only nature could create such a thing. Estimated age is 200 million years and their height is 42 meters at most. The 7 Strong Men as the locals call them are 7 massive rock towers bursting out of a flat plateau. Many say that while there you feel no need of water, food or rest, all you want to do is stare at these masterpieces of nature, where locals say spirits used to gather in ancient times.

Elbrus

Standing at 5,642 meters, Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in the Caucasus and the highest point in Russia. It is a stratovolcano that has lain dormant for the last 2,000 years. Set near the border with Georgia, Mount Elbrus is a popular tourist destination and many attempt to climb it, especially during the summer. A special cable-car system was created during the 70s that takes people up to 3,800m up the mountain. Up to 100 people try to reach Elbrus peak every day. In the winter time, attempts are very scarce and only professionals venture up the mountain. It has harsh winter weather and strong winds are notorious and it claims 15-30 lives every year, mostly poorly equipped dare-devils trying to reach the top.